Compare the2026 MINI CountrymanVS 2026 Subaru Forester

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The MINI Countryman has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Countryman has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Forester doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Countryman has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Countryman has standard Cross Traffic Warning and Brake Intervention automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and it’s not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Compared to metal, the Countryman’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the Countryman and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

Warranty

The Countryman comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Countryman’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Forester’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Countryman for 3 years and 36,000 miles. MINI will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in long-term dependability. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

Engine

The Countryman S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 61 more horsepower (241 vs. 180) and 117 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 178) than the Forester’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Countryman S’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (241 vs. 194) than the Forester’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The JCW Countryman’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 118 more horsepower (312 vs. 194) than the Forester’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the MINI Countryman is faster than the Subaru Forester:

	Countryman S	JCW Countryman	Forester 4 cyl.	Forester 4 cyl. hybrid gas
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	4.9 sec	9.4 sec	8.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	13.6 sec	17.2 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.8 MPH	102.8 MPH	81.1 MPH	85.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Countryman gets better mileage than the Forester:

			MPG
Countryman
	AWD	S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
		JCW 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
Forester
	AWD	Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	24 city/28 hwy

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the Countryman’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Subaru only offers a regenerative brake system on the Forester Hybrid.

Transmission

The Countryman’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Forester doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

The Countryman stops much shorter than the Forester:

	Countryman	Forester
60 to 0 MPH	100 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	152 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Countryman’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (245/45R19 vs. 235/50R19).

The Countryman’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester’s standard 60 series tires. The JCW Countryman’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Countryman has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The JCW Countryman’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The Countryman offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Countryman has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Countryman’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Forester (106 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

The JCW Countryman handles at .99 G’s, while the Forester Sport pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The JCW Countryman executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Forester Sport (25.1 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The Countryman is 7.9 inches shorter than the Forester, making the Countryman easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Countryman has 2.7 inches more front hip room and 2.6 inches more rear hip room than the Forester.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Countryman. The Forester doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Countryman’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Countryman uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Countryman has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Countryman and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Countryman is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Countryman’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Forester Premium/Wilderness/Sport/Limited/Touring’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Countryman the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Countryman has standard Comfort Access that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness/Touring offers a Keyless Access and Start.

The Countryman’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Countryman to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Forester doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Countryman’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Both the MINI Countryman and Subaru Forester offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Countryman features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Forester’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Countryman has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Forester Limited/Touring.

The Countryman offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Forester.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the MINI Countryman has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring offers wireless charging.

The Countryman’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Countryman first among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Forester isn’t in the top three.

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